Ray Barretto, a percussionist extraordinaire and legend in the Salsa & latin Jazz music community has left the music scene with his death in February 2006 at age 76.
Born of Puerto Rican descendence in Brooklyn during the depression, he lived with his mother in East Harlem, The South Bronx and other "boricua" districts before he joined the army, where in the latter 1940's he heard Dizzy Gillespie's hard bebop. The young man was transfixed by Dizzy Gillespie - Manteca," which featured conguero Chano Pozo.
He started sitting in at a Munich jazz club, and after his discharge, by the early 50's he had bought his own Cuban Cnga drum and was playing regularly at clubs like The Bucket of Blood. Soon Mambo was the rage, and Barretto eventually started playing with Tito Puente in 1957, replacing the famed Mongo Santamaria. He became a band leader on his own by 1961, and had a big hit with his group Charanga Moderna and their boogaloo dance craze single called "el Watusi" in 1963 that was the first Latin record to hit the Billboard top 20, and went Gold.
Barretto is credited by some for bringing the African Conga drum into popular music, and had a crossover appeal that transcended the genre boundries of mainstream music categories. He gained recognition beyond the Puerto Rican music scene, ex. played on many Blue Note albums. He beacme associated with the Latin label Fania in the 1960's and played for three decades in the popular ensemble called the Fania All Stars alongsde Willie Colon, Ruben Blades and others. His 1972 album, "Carnaval", is considered a masterpiece amongst latin Jazz afficianados with the songs "Cocinando Suave" and his interpretation of Gershwin's "Summertime".
Highlights of Barretto's run with the Fania All Stars were their tours of spots like Panama, Puerto Rico and Zaire where they played to 80,000 in Kinshasa before the Ali-Foremen fight. Undoubtedly their sell out concerts at N.Y's Yankee Stadium in 1973 & 1975 would have to be included as well.
In 1975 and 1976, Barretto earned back-to-back Grammy nominations for his solo albums "Barretto" (with the prize-winning song "Guarere") and his double "Barretto Live...Tomorrow". By 1976, although he had stopped performing & touring with his live salsa orchestra, he was regularly voted Best Conga Player in music magazine annual polls. He became interested in jazz fusion forms, and pursued this musical passion despite it's lack of commercial appeal. Barretto felt restricted by the Salsa scene, it's conventions and strict danceable format, and did not like the tag Latin Jazz either.
He teamed with singer Celia Cruz in 1983 for the first of several albums, finally winning a 1990 Grammy with her for their 1989 song "Ritmo En El Corazon". In 1992, he formed the ensemble New World Spirit, and was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1999.
He had recently been named best drummer in the 2005 DownBeat poll, and received the NEA's 2006 Jazz Masters Fellowship before his health declined. His recent albums "Taboo" (1994), "My Summertime" (1998) and his final album 2005's "Time Was - Time Is" all received Grammy nominations for best Latin jazz performance.
Over the years he is said to have recorded more than 70 albums for numerous labels including Riverside, Atlantic, EMI, CTI, Fania, Tico, RCA Victor, Concord Picante, Prestige, Blue Note, Circular Moves, Sunnyside and his last for O+ Music. Amongst his many musical collaborators included Cannonball Adderly, Joe Farrell, Wes Montgomery, Cal Tjader, Charlie Palmieri, George Benson, Lou Donaldson, Dizzy Gillespie, José Curbelo , Adalberto Santiago, Steve Gadd, Hector Lavoe, Yusef Lateef, Gene Ammons, Red Garland, Ray Vega, Oscar Hernandez, Tito Gomez, and even Little Miami Steven Van Zant's Sun City project. At the time of his death in a New Jersey hospital, he was in his late 70's, and had recently had several health setbacks including suffering asthma, compounded by heart attack, bypass surgery, pneumonia , a tracheotomy and just enough damned ailments to take Fuerza Gigante down.
More Barretto Links & Sample MP3'z & Interviews available at
http://lilmikesf.blogspot.com/2006/02/conga-king-ray-barretto-rip.html
Mercy
Ray Barretto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need mercy
I need mercy
I pray to God I'd hold you again
I need mercy
Mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy mercy
I need mercy
Mery mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy mercy
Mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy mercy
I need mercy
Mery mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy mercy
I need mercy
Mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy mercy
I need mercy
Mery mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy me, yeah
The lyrics of Ray Barretto's song "Mercy" express a deep longing for a lost relationship, with the singer begging for mercy as he hopes to reunite with his former love. The repetition of the phrase "I need mercy" emphasizes the singer's desperation, while the invocation of God and the use of the word "Lord" suggest a spiritual dimension to his plea. The use of "baby" as a term of endearment conveys the intimacy and affection the singer once shared with his partner.
The urgency of the song is heightened by the repeated refrain of "mercy, mercy, mercy," which serves not only as a plea for forgiveness and reunion, but also connotes a sense of suffering and pain. The repetition of this phrase, coupled with the singer's soulful vocal delivery, creates a powerful emotional impact that resonates with the listener.
Overall, Ray Barretto's "Mercy" is a poignant and affecting song that captures the depths of the singer's longing and the yearning for redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
I need mercy
The singer is expressing a strong desire for mercy from an unknown source.
I need mercy
The singer repeats their plea for mercy, emphasizing the intensity of their desire.
I need mercy
The singer repeats their plea for mercy once more, underscoring the urgency of their situation.
I pray to God I'd hold you again
The artist expresses a heartfelt wish to be reunited with someone they have lost, demonstrating that their need for mercy may stem from emotional pain and longing.
I need mercy
The artist reiterates their need for mercy, indicating that it is an ongoing and persistent need.
Mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy mercy
The singer uses repetition to emphasize their plea for mercy and to make it more memorable and impactful.
Lord have mercy
The singer invokes God's mercy, suggesting that they are in a situation that is beyond their control and that they need divine intervention in order to find relief.
Mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy mercy
The artist again repeats their plea for mercy, reinforcing the emotional intensity of their situation.
I need mercy
The artist repeats their plea for mercy, indicating that it is a crucial and pressing need that is at the forefront of their mind.
Mery mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy mercy
The artist uses variations on the phrase 'mercy baby' in order to keep the plea for mercy fresh and interesting, while also maintaining its emotional impact.
I need mercy
The singer again stresses their need for mercy, revealing that this is a situation that is causing them significant distress and upheaval.
Mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy mercy
The artist once again repeats their plea for mercy, emphasizing the emotional gravity of their situation and the urgency of their need.
I need mercy
The singer emphasizes the ongoing and unrelenting nature of their need for mercy, indicating that this situation is a major factor in their life.
Mery mercy baby, mercy baby, mercy mercy me, yeah
The singer uses variation on 'mercy baby' and incorporates additional phrases like 'mercy mercy me' and 'yeah' to underscore the emotional depth and complexity of their plea for help.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: RAYMOND BARRETTO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JLGS
on El Diablo
Pero mi pregunta es, tendrá un mensaje en su Fe? Como q el enemigo no puedo tocar porque no solamente tiene fuerza internal pero en su Fe?